Improvement in combination-locks



C. D. JUDD.

Combination-Lock.

Patented Sept-28,1875.

` UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE?.

CHARLES D. JUDD, OF EAST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

AIMPROVEMENTIN COMBINATION-LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters 4Patent No. l 68,094, datedSeptember 28, 1875 application 4filed April '28, 1875.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES D. JUDD, of EastHaven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination-Locks; and Ido hereby dec-lare the following to be a full, clear, andl exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of locks in which the parts may beseton numbers, so that it will lock and unlock only on those numbers; andconsists in a novel constructhe wheels and one ofthe eccentrics, whichare placed in countersinks in the tnmblers. Fig. 6 is a view of thespindle made in two parts.

The relative position of most of the parts of the lock, when it istogether, is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

A is the knob, provided with the 'circular plate a, and is attached tothe spindle. This circular plate a has a line or mark across its edgefor setting the graduated plate b. The graduated plate b is divided onits edge into one hundred parts with numbers to indicate the number ofparts. This graduated plate is free to turn on the spindle. The circularstationary face-plate c is slightly countersunk on its front side, andthe graduated plate b lits into the countersink. The bolt B ofthe lockis providedvwith a spiral spring, and with the fence-piece w at rightangles to the bolt, which rests on the tumblers e and f, and keeps thebolt out or locked, except the slots in the tumblers are in line andunder it, when it rests on the circular slotted plate d, and is moved inand out, carrying the bolt with it, by means of the curved slots o inthe same, a portion of the piece m being made to lit in the curved slot.The plate d, with thc curved slots o, is attached to the outer portionol' the spindle E. The tumblers e and f are also shown in Figs. 1 and 2,with a slot, i, in the edge of each, into which slot the fence-piece m,attached to the bolt, drops. The two tumblers e and f are, both alike,and are more clearly shown by a side view of the same in Fig. 4, whereone of them is shown having a slot, i, in its edge, and two centralcountersinks, j and k, in its side, .in the smallest of which the wheelC, Fig. 5, is placed, and a cap, D, for inclosing the wheel C, is placedin thelarger countersink k. In the same Fig. i'another countersink, l,in the tumbler is shown, cutting into the smaller of the twocountersinks before mentioned, and is ofthe 'same depth. A circularhole, m, is made-through the tumbler, in which the eccentric g turns. Acorresponding hole is made in the cap D for the same purpose. Theeccentric *g (shown in Figs. 1 and 5) is provided with a slot, throughwhich a key passes to operate it, and clamp the Wheel C to the tumbler.Through the central holes in both the tumbler and cap D the spindle Epasses. The' circular wheel C, Fig. 5, has a central countersink in itlarger than the spindle, and a slot or hole near its outer edgeextending into said countersink. In this slot or hole is placed a catch,n, having its inner end beveled, and provided with a spiral spring foroperating it, as shown in Fig. 5. Figs. l and 6 show the spindle E madein two parts, to the outer part of which the knob A and circular pla'ted are attached, and on which the graduated plate b turns; andV it isprovided on its inner end with a ilangc, h.. A hole is drilled into itsinner end, and the ilange his countersunk, as shown in Fig. l. A pinfrom the edge of the flange extends into the countersink, also shown inFig. l. In this Fig. l the inner part of spindle E is also shown, thesmaller part of which enters the drilled hole in the outer part and thelarger part o of which enters the countersink in the ange on the outerpart of the spindle. The pin on this larger parto e11- gages the pin in'the countersink ofthe liange, and turns the inner part of the spindle.The tumblers e and f are free to turn on this inner part of the spindle,which is provided with the pins p p, which engage the spring-catches nin the wheels C of the tumblers, and give motion to the tumblers inopposite directions by means of the bevel on the catches, when thespindle is turned in opposite directions. In Fig. 2 i is the nut holdingthe tumblers on the inner part of the spindle. In Fig. 4 the springs qare shown, which hold the tumblers from turning except when moved by thepins p p on the spindle. These springs g are attached to the case, andextend more than half-way around the tumblers. g

To explain the operation of my lock I will suppose it to be locked onthe numbers 20, 30, and 40. To unlock it hold the graduated plate bwhile you turn the knob and circular plate a until the mark on thecircular plate a corresponds with the number 20 on the graduated plateb. Then release the graduated plate b, so that it may move with thespindle and knob. Then turn the knob to the right at least threerevolutions. Stop when the number 30 on the graduated plate bcorresponds with the mark on the face-plate c. This operation sets thefront tumbler.

The reason of the three revolutions is in the construction of the lock.The two parts ot' the spindle are connected in such a way that the outerpart may be turned nearly a revo lution before it moves the inner part.So, too, the inner part may make nearly a revolution before the tumblerbegins to move. Nearly a third revolution may be made or required to setthe tumbler.

The next step is to turn the knob to the left at least threerevolutions, and stop when the numberetO on the graduated plate bcorresponds with the mark on the face-plate c. This operation sets theback tumbler. Then turn to the right again, and the bolt will bebroughtback unlocked. To lock, turn the knob one or two turns to theleft.

The number 20 may be left to correspond with the mark on the circularplate a,'and only the other two numbers used to operate the lock. Therst number of the combination must always correspond with the mark onthe circular plate a, or it will not unlock on the other two numbers, aswill hereafter more fully appear. There are two methods of changing thenumbers ofthe combinationone on the outside by means of the graduateplate b, another on the inside by means -of a key. To change the numbersby the first method from 20, 30, and 40 to 15, 25, and 35, hold thegraduated plate b and turn the circular plate a. to the left until themark on it corresponds with l5 on the graduated plate b. To change from20, 30, and 40 to 25, 35, and 45, turn the circular plate a until themark on it corresponds with 25 on the graduated plate b. To every numberthat you turn the circular plate ato the right from the old number 20,so4

many numbers must be added to theV other two numbers, 30 and 40, andwhen turned to the left, subtracted.

In changing the numbers by the key or second method,V only the last twonumbers are changed. To change these numbers turn the circular plate tothe left ten numbers, or make the first number of the combination lessby ten. As the lock was set on 20, 30, and 40, turn the graduated plateuntil the number l0 corresponds with the mark on the circular plate a.Then proceed in exactly the same way as before describedto unlock. Thisoperation brings the key-hole in the cover of the lock and in the twoeecentrics in the same line. Insert the key as far as it will go, abouthalf its length; turn the key to the left. Push the key in some distancefarther, and turn the key to the right. These operations release thetumblers, so that they do not turn with the knob and spindle, andot'course, can be set anew. Turn the knob at least three revolutions to theright, and until the desired number corresponds with the mark on theface-plate c. Then turn the key to the left, hard, and draw it half-wayout. This operation sets the front tumbler on the desired number. To setthe back tumbler, turn the knob to the left at least three revolutions,and until the desired number corresponds with the mark on the face-platec. Then turn the key to the right, hard, and withdraw it. Theseoperations set the tumblers on the new numbers. Turn back to the rightthe circular plate a ten numbers, and the lock is ready to operatey onthe new numbers or combination of numbers.

Having thus described my lock, what I claim as my invention, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The circular plate d, attached to the outer spindle, and providedwith curved slots for engaging the piece x, attached to the bolt B, andmoving the bolt B back and fort-h, in the manner described,substantially as set forth.

2. The spindle made in two parts and connected by pins, in the mannerdescribed, allowing the outer part to be turned nearly a revolutionbefore the pins again engage each other to move the inner part of thespindle, substantially as set forth.

CHARLES D. JUDD.

Witnesses: i

GEORGE TERRY, CHARLES E. BUELL.

